"Heavens, just kill me with a sword already!"
Chen Yi lay sprawled out, exhausted, covering his face with a children's primer from this strange world, The Ten Thousand Character Classic.
Perhaps noticing his exceptional intelligence beyond his years, Xia Wanwan's expectations for him had grown steadily higher.
Originally, after the grabbing ceremony, his daily schedule only required him to study three subjects.
In the morning, the servants helped him with reading and literacy. In the afternoon, he practiced etiquette-learning how to walk, sit, and carry himself properly. At night, there were literacy review tests to ensure he retained what he had learned.
But ever since he ate the poisoned fruit sent by Aunt Wan Yi, Xia Wanwan had drawn up a brand-new schedule for him.
As she explained to Chen Taiping, "Yi'er has shown remarkable intelligence from a very young age.
"Most children still wet the bed at one year old, but he knew how to signal the wet nurse at just six months.
"At one and a half, while other children were barely learning to talk, he not only spoke fluently but could also recognize characters and express himself clearly.
"And by the age of two..."
At that moment, Chen Yi and Chen Taiping exchanged a glance, their expressions practically screaming the same thought: "She's talking about Chen Yuan."
Since then, Chen Yi's daily schedule was divided into five segments.
After breakfast came etiquette lessons.
In addition to practicing walking, sitting, and posture, new lessons were added on how to show proper respect to different elders.
For example, when visiting his great-grandmother, he had to perform a grand bow to demonstrate respect for the elderly.
There were also specific rules for interacting with uncles, senior family members, and external guests—so detailed that even Chen Yi, with his modern education, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is way too complicated!"
After the etiquette class, literacy lessons continued, now with the added component of writing practice.
The afternoon was dedicated to the two additional subjects.
The first was basic knowledge, covering topics such as astronomy, geography, local customs, and traditions.
As the elderly tutor, Mr. Li, put it, "This is called kai zhi—the opening of wisdom."
Next, a craftsman from the marquis estate taught him the names and functions of various tools.
Like the kai zhi lessons, the goal was to ensure that he wouldn't grow up to become a "brainless brute" who only knew martial arts.
It's worth mentioning that the term "brainless brute" was something Xia Wanwan overheard from scholars outside the estate, and she found the phrase quite insightful.
At the very least, "brainless brute" didn't sound nearly as pleasant as "well-rounded in both literature and martial arts."
From that point on, the tutors began emphasizing the importance of mastering both.
Chen Yi had once shared these lessons privately with his father.
At the time, Chen Taiping's expression was somewhat awkward, and he muttered that such labels were a bit inappropriate.
But just a few days later, Chen Taiping sought him out and changed his tune.
Not only did he strongly endorse Xia Wanwan's definition of a "brainless brute," but he also went out of his way to put on a stern face, warning Chen Yi that he had to behave and, under no circumstances, report this to anyone.
Afterwards, Chen Yi overheard from some chatty servants that his father had been "invited" out of the right wing by Xia Wanwan that very night...
Well, there was no arguing with someone who held more power.
Chen Yi could only endure hardships that no child his age should have to bear.
Still, the intensive learning wasn't without its benefits.
At the very least, through all the lofty, refined teachings of the sages, Chen Yi gained a clearer understanding of the world around him.
The Tianyuan Continent was vast, and under the rule of the Great Wei Dynasty, there were a total of seventeen provinces: the capital prefecture, along with sixteen other prefectures and states spread across the empire.
Beyond the Wei Dynasty lay several other forces: the Western Buddhist Kingdom, the southern tribes, the eastern sea archipelagos, and the northern Demon Kingdom.
Of these, the Demon Kingdom was the most dangerous. Most of the demons wreaking havoc within Wei territory had escaped from the north.
As a result, the Wei Dynasty stationed its strongest armies and most impenetrable fortresses at the northern borders.
Chen Taiping, Chen Yi's father and the Marquis of Wu'an, was one of the rotational commanders of Beixiong Pass, the key defensive stronghold in the north.
He served alongside Marquis Jingye, Zhou Tiance, and Marquis Taishan, Wang Xidu, all of whom were under the command of Duke Zhenbei (King of Northern border), Du Qing.
In peacetime, the three marquises rotated their duties every five years.
For instance, currently Marquis Taishan, Wang Xidu, was stationed at Beixiong Pass. In one year, it would be Chen Taiping's turn to take over the post.
"One year... In one year, it'll be time for my Foundation Establishment, right?"
Based on the information revealed by the system, missing the opportunity to grab a physique-enhancing object during the grabbing Ceremony had hindered his physical growth. As a result, his performance in the Foundation Establishment assessment at age three was expected to fall short.
Now that he had the jade sword, his physique was gradually improving, which should theoretically boost his chances during the evaluation.
But this was only speculation—Chen Yi wasn't sure if his still somewhat unimpressive physique would be enough to pass the test.
Through some careful inquiries, he had managed to gather a bit of information about the Foundation Establishment assessment.
In the Tianyuan Continent, Foundation Establishment served as the fundamental step for children entering the martial path.
There were many methods to achieve this:
Body tempering through medicinal baths,
Fusion with metals and minerals,
Meridian expansion by martial experts.
It was said that the southern tribes performed Foundation Establishment by branding spiritual marks onto children using the blood of demonic beasts.
In the marquis estates of Wei, however, the process was typically safer and more refined. It involved having a martial expert cleanse the child's body of impurities through Bone-Washing techniques, followed by medicinal baths for physical tempering.
This method ensured not only powerful results but also high safety. Moreover, children who underwent this process gained greater compatibility with all martial paths, allowing them to switch between them freely without hindrance to their cultivation.
The meridians and physique were considered both internal and external aspects of the body. Once Foundation Establishment was completed, the path to martial cultivation would naturally become much smoother.
Just as Chen Yi was contemplating this, he removed the book from his head and let out a yawn.
"Young master, the madam is coming!"
At that moment, the servant keeping watch by the door gave a quick knock on the window.
Chen Yi immediately straightened up, grabbed his book, and put on a serious expression as he began reciting aloud:
"In the north lies a mighty pass, beyond which stretches a world of endless ice and snow. Among it stands a forest of mountains known as the Ten-Thousand Great Peaks, teeming with demons and beasts..."
"Yi'er, come and have some fruit."
Xia Wanqian entered the room, holding a plate of Xilv mangoes, her face adorned with a warm smile.
"Mother, you've finally come! Yi'er was just about to perish from thirst!"
"If you're thirsty, just say so. Don't use the word 'perish'; it's inauspicious."
Chen Yi nodded repeatedly and reached for a mango, taking a bite.
[Toxicity is mild, absorbed. Counterattack points +1]
The notification on the panel appeared as usual, and Chen Yi felt quite pleased.
During this time, he could enjoy the toxic fruits sent by Zhou Wanyi every few days.
Not only were they juicy and meaty, but the toxicity of Soft Bone Powder was also significant.
Over the course of two months, they had provided him with a total of twenty-three counterattack points.
Calculating this way, he estimated that by the end of the year, his counterattack points would reach their maximum value.
After that, the system would likely issue the second counterattack mission.
For this, Chen Yi felt a twinge of excitement; he couldn't help but wish that Zhou Wanyi would send him toxic fruits every day.
"Yi'er, your birthday is coming soon. What kind of gift would you like?"
"Gift?"
Chen Yi was pleasantly surprised to learn that this world also celebrated birthdays with gifts.
"Mother, can I ask for anything?"
"Of course."
"Then I'd like to go out for a stroll."
Although Chen Yi wished he could make some extravagant requests, like reducing his course load by half, he knew that was out of the question. So, he settled for something simple instead.
Since coming to this world, he hadn't left the marquis's residence and was quite curious about what lay outside.
Xia Wanquan was taken aback for a moment before responding, "Of course, that's fine! It just so happens that the Lantern Festival will be coming up, and I'll take you to see the lanterns."
"Pinky swear!"
"Okay, pinky swear!"
Looking at her understanding son, Xia Wanquan's face softened slightly, though a sense of guilt lingered in her heart.
She knew that her decision to have Chen Yi start reading and studying at such a young age was not entirely appropriate. However, she had her reasons for doing so.
She not only wanted to prevent Chen Yi from causing any more disturbances like the one during the naming ceremony, but more importantly, she didn't want him to fall too far behind Chen Yuan.
Sigh... She could only hope that when Yi grew up, he wouldn't hold it against her...
(End of this chapter)